Certain refrigerator appliances include an ice maker for producing ice. The ice maker can receive liquid water, and such liquid water can freeze within the ice maker to form ice. In particular, certain ice makers include a mold body that defines a plurality of cavities. The plurality of cavities can be filled with liquid water, and such liquid water can freeze within the plurality of cavities to form ice cubes.
During freezing, the ice cubes can adhere or stick to the mold body. Thus, removing the ice cubes from the mold body can be difficult. Ice makers can include various mechanisms for assisting removal of ice cubes from the mold body. Certain ice makers include heaters that heat the mold body. Heating the mold body can slightly melt the ice cubes located therein. With the ice cubes slightly melted, a harvester or rake can scoop out or remove the ice cubes from the mold body. Heaters can reliably assist ice cube removal. However, such heaters can be energy intensive and consume costly electricity.
To conserve electricity, certain ice makers twist the mold body to release ice cubes contained therein. Such ice makers generally include a mold body that can rotate in two opposite directions. When the mold body is rotated in a first direction, the mold body can be twisted, e.g., because one end of the mold body is held fixed. In the second, opposite direction, the mold body can rotate until the mold body is flipped and ice cubes drop out of the mold body. Such ice makers can consume less electricity compared to ice makers that utilize heaters. However, such ice makers have certain drawbacks. In particular, twisting the mold body may not release all ice cubes from the mold body. Thus, when the mold body is flipped, ice cube can remain within the mold body. If ice cubes remain stuck within the mold body, liquid water added to the mold body during subsequent ice making processes can overfill the mold body and negatively affect performance of the ice maker.
Accordingly, an ice maker with features for assisting removal of ice cubes from a mold body of the ice maker would be useful. In particular, an ice maker with features for assisting removal of ice cubes from a mold body of the ice maker after twisting the mold body would be useful.